This disclosure relates to a method of manufacturing a gas turbine engine airfoil from a CMC.
Gas turbine engines typically include a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section. During operation, air is pressurized in the compressor section and is mixed with fuel and burned in the combustor section to generate hot combustion gases. The hot combustion gases are communicated through the turbine section, which extracts energy from the hot combustion gases to power the compressor section and other gas turbine engine loads.
Both the compressor and turbine sections may include alternating series of rotating blades and stationary vanes that extend into the core flow path of the gas turbine engine. For example, in the turbine section, turbine blades rotate and extract energy from the hot combustion gases that are communicated along the core flow path of the gas turbine engine. The turbine vanes, which generally do not rotate, guide the airflow and prepare it for the next set of blades.
It is desirable to provide fiber-based articles for their lightweight and durability in high temperature applications. One example process wraps a resin impregnated ceramic matrix composite (CMC) cloth about a mandrel to form an article to provide a desired shape. The article and resin are heated to high temperatures to pyrolyze the structure and form a crystalline ceramic metal matrix.